Oil and gas separator



Patented June 3!, 193

IATEVSI PATENT OFFICE JACOB e. Prick," ori PORTLAND, OREGON OIL'AND GAS SEPABATQR Application'filed March 2,

My invention relates to compressors employed in mechanical refrigeration and has for its primary object, the separating ofthe lubricant used in the compressor from the 5 refrigerant as-well' aspr'oviding automatic temperature.

' A still further objectflof'my deviceconsists in so constructing my; device that the same may be made to serve as a separator and as ahead for the refrigerating machine. I have observed in my work asa refrigerating engineer, that the principal trouble encountered with refrigerating systems consists in the admission of the lubricating material into the refrigerant 'inat erial, and carrying'the same into. the expansion coil and into the'expansion chambers for the refrigerant material and thatthe refrigerant be-.

comes so thoroughly and completely" impregnated with the lubricantthat it loses its efiiciency as a refrigerating medium and that when the saturation becomes sufliciently complete it ceases to perform its function almost entirely as a refrigeratingmedium. have observed, and I am aware, that many attempts have beenmade to effect this separation, but I am not aware that any attempt has been made to effect-this separation within the head of the refrigerating machine.

I have observed that thisfresult can be had most effectively while the refrigerant gases are in the highly heated state and therefore Ihave made my device to conform to the head of the compressor unit and effect the separation at that point.

The refrigerant'materials and. the lubricant, in most cases havedifferent specific gravities, and in my new and improved device I effect the separation because of this diflt'erenceinthespecific gravities, and cause a precipitation of the heavier of these ele- -ments and cause the same tobe deposited in a sump within the main frame 'of the device.

1927. Serial No. 172,164.

Automatic means are provided within the, 7'

sump for the delivery of the trapped materials therefrom into the crank case of the refriger'ating machine, the automatic device consistingprimarily of a valve and an actuator therefor adapted to maintain the level of the precipitated materials within predetermined limits of the level heights. 7 With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features" of construction and combination of w parts, the essential elements of which are setforth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is here inafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompanyand form a part of this specification.

In the drawings Fig. 1 isa front elevation of a refrigerating machine withone of my new and im-,.

proved traps associated as the head of. the

compressor. v Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1..

Fig.3 is a longitudinal cross section view, inside elevation, of mynew and improved device, shown removed. from the compressor. Fig is a longitudinal, cross sectional view, taken on line of. F ig. 3, looking in the directionindicated; i e Y Fig. 5 is. a cross section view, taken on line 5%5015 Fig. 3,10oking in the direction indicated. I 7 3 e Fig.16 is a fragmentary, side elevation, of the actuator ofthe'valve'and illustrates its connections with an automatic release valve from the sump. w Like; reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several'views. 1 is the'crank case-base of acompressor for a refrigerating machine and 2 is the cylinder thereof, having aflange 3, termi--.

hating the same. In my new and improved device, 4 is a cylindrical casing, having flanges 5, disposedupon the lower sidethereof and connected to'the flange. of the cylinder of the refrigerating machine through suitable fastening elements 6, my devicethus forming a head for the compressor. The in let 7 leading into my device has disposed therein a valve 8, having a valve stem 9, for actuating the same therewith, the object of which is to facilitate the exhausting of the coilage and refrigerant chambers before the starting of the device. The passage 7 leads into the annular passage way 10 of my device. A diaphragm 12, being positioned within the chamber to prevent the direct passage of the refrigerant therefrom, and to form compartments within the casing. Disposed within the chamber 11, is a bell shaped element 13, having outwardly sloping side walls from the central body or member 14, which has a series of indentures 15, in stepped relationship, disposed upon the under side thereof, the general contour of which is upwardly inclined into the entrance 16, to the interior space 16A of the member 14. A series of outlets 17 are disposed in the upper end of the central section 14, through which the compressed refrigerant material is permitted to pass into the chamber 18, associated therearound. The refrigerant material then passes through the outlet 19, through the coilage for the expansion of the same. A series of bafiies 20, are disposed within the central chamber 16A, the object of which is to provide a circuituous passageway within the chamber 16A which aids in precipitating the lubricant into the sump chamber, as the refrigerant passes upward therethrough. The device is secured to the head 21, and may be adjusted by means of an opening 22, disposed in the neck thereof into which an adjusting wrench may be placed, the opening being closed by a threaded member 23.

I have found by constructing a separator, as herein described, that the lubricant material, which is of a difl'erent specific gravity than that of the refrigerant material,

will separate and the lubricant will be precipitated within the chamber 24. Disposed within the chamber .24, is a float 25. The float 25 is in hinged-relationship with its supporting element about the supporting pin 26. A spring 27 normally maintains the ball or float 25 in repressed position and contacts with the end of the lever or arm 30 which is rounded. Disposed within the block 28, to which the ball 25 by means of its supporting lever or arm is hinged about 26, is a valve seat 29, and secured to the lever 30 of the ball, is a valve 31, which is raised into and out of engagement with the valve seat 29, as the ball is raised and lowered through the action of the lubricant trapped within the sump or compartment 24. Great care should be-taken in assembling the ball within the sump chamber to prevent the lifting of the valve 31 from its seat 29, un-

til the lubricant level within the chamber is substantially above that of thefivalve seat 29, and care should be exercised to prevent the valve closing before the lubrication'level has been lowered beyond that of the valve seat 29, thus furnishing a valve that is at all times seated by the lubricant trapped therein. An outlet 32, leads the trapped lubricant into the conductor 33 that conducts the same fromthe trap into the crank case 1, of the refrigerating machine.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is I 1. In an oil and gas separator, a casing, a diaphragm dividing the interior of saidcasing into an upper and a lower compartment, a bell shaped member penetrating said diaphragm and affording communication between the two compartments, the lower por tion of said bell-shaped member flaring out wardly and downwardly thereby defining an annular passageway communicating with the lower compartment, an inlet passageway communicating with the aforesaid annular passageway and an outlet passageway leading from the upper compartment.

2. In a device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under side of the aforesaid bell-shaped member is characterized by spaced annular indentures to provide a surface for the collection of oil film and droplets.

3. In an oil'and gas separator, a casing, a diaphragm dividing the interior of said casing into an upper and a lower compartment, a bell-shaped member penetratingsaid diaphragm, said bell-shaped member having a passageway therethrough aflording communication between the aforesaid compartments, the lower portion of said bell-shaped member flaring outwardly and downwardly thereby defining an annular passageway communicating with the lower compartment, an inlet passageway communicating with the aforesaid annular passageway, an outlet pasageway leading from the upper compartment, and a plurality of horizontally disposed plates so arranged within the bellshaped member that the passageway therethrough follows a circuitous route.

4. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a casing provided with an ining upwardly there through, a series of.

baflies disposed in said chamber, and there being an outlet port extending from the casing, above said diaphragm.

5. In a device of the class combination of a casing providedwith an interior chamber, there being a passageway leading within said casing dividing said chamber into two compartments, a central member carried by said diaphragm, there being a passageway through the central member affording communication between the two compartments, the lower portion of said member constituting an outwardly sloping annular wall, havingits under'surface composed of indentures in stepped relation from its outer edge to the last mentioned passageway, and a series of bafiies projecting into the last mentioned passageway.

JACOB G. PECK.

described, the I into said chamber, a diaphragm' 

